Category Archives: Canadian author/illustrator

Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein

Posted on March 13, 2019 by

First off, Júlia Sardà’s illustrations are the perfect mix of shadowy angles for a biography of a horror writer. The double page spread of Castle Frankenstein (a real place! and inspiration, perhaps, for Mary’s famous title) uses a limited dark … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, Canadian author/illustrator, Nonfiction, Picture books | Tagged , | 12 Comments

The Mushroom Fan Club

Posted on September 13, 2018 by

The cover and the title drew me to this book. The Mushroom Fan Club by Elise Gravel is shelved under graphic novel at my library, looks more like an easy reader, but I think it’s most like a picture book–an incredibly … Continue reading →

Posted in Books with science links, Canadian author/illustrator, Easy Readers, Love that art, Nonfiction, Picture books, Uncategorized, Voice | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Square

Posted on July 20, 2018 by

The world is divided on whether they love, hate or just don’t get these books by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen. I fall firmly in the former camp. Square is visually innovative and brings in a bit of philosophy for … Continue reading →

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Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli

Posted on April 30, 2018 by

A little girl in Rome who hates having her picture taken grows up into an international fashion designer. Inspired by beautiful, bold flowers, Elsa Schiaparelli imagines many amazing scenarios and when she’s grown, she becomes an artist–a dressmaker. “To be … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, Canadian author/illustrator, Picture books | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Bertolt

Posted on June 1, 2017 by

I love this sweetly strange book about being different, being a loner and loving a 55-year-old oak. Bertolt by Jacques Goldstein (translated from the French by Claudia Zoe Bedrick) is lovely and though the storyline meanders a bit, I love the … Continue reading →

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The Nest

Posted on March 28, 2016 by

The Nest is a haunting and surreal book about a boy named Steve whose newborn brother is born with a host of medical problems that require surgeries and hospitalizations. Through Steve’s dreams and his conversations with the knife man, we see … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian author/illustrator, Children's novels, strong characters | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Bug In A Vacuum

Posted on September 30, 2015 by

Bug in a Vacuum is so much more than a picture book. First off, it’s way more than 32 pages. Those pages, though, are jam-packed with fabulous illustrations, funny anecdotes that move the story forward and…a bug and dog. The dog … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian author/illustrator, Picture books | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Kate and Pippin: An Unlikely Friendship

Posted on June 2, 2015 by

Kate and Pippin: An Unlikely Friendship by Martin Springett and photographed by Isobel Springett is the true story of a rescued fawn the mutual caring that developed with a Great Dane. Sweet and unlikely, yes, but even more interesting is what happens after … Continue reading →

Posted in Books with science links, Canadian author/illustrator, Easy Readers, Nonfiction | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

123 Versus ABC

Posted on May 26, 2015 by

If a book about numbers and a book about letters meshed, and then the numbers and the letters fought about whose book it was, well, you’d have 123 Versus ABC by Mike Boldt. The letter A and the number 1 host a growing parade of … Continue reading →

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Splat!

Posted on April 22, 2015 by

An almost wordless book about revenge, Splat! by Roslyn Schwartz brings on a good laugh. After all, what do you wish you could do when a pigeon leaves its mark on you? Warning: scatalogical humour inside.

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